Standardized Patient Educator

The Standardized Patient Program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda (WRNMMCB) is part of the Department of Simulation.

The Standardized/Simulated Patient (SP) is a person who has been coached to simulate an actual patient. Such individuals are used to role play case scenarios that are carefully designed by faculty to serve two potential goals: Teaching and/or testing of clinical or related skills. Such educational activities may occur in a variety of settings where options exist to observe the encounter through one-way glass windows or to record the encounter on videotape for review purposes. Sometimes the SP may be a Standardized Participant someone other than the patient including a parent or other family members or another medical provider the learner must interact with.

The Standardized Patient Educator (SPE) helps recruit and train individuals to portray roles and collects SP event logs in order to validate SP attendance which is utilized for payroll processing. Additionally the SPE helps faculty with case development as it relates to the use of SPs and serves as an institutional resource for other healthcare programs at WRNMMCB

1. Training Platform Description & Objectives: Training most often occurs in person. However there are exceptions that allow for a virtual platform such as conducting difficult conversations virtually during a weather event or conducting difficult conversations over the telephone which mimics real life. Training activities provide learners with the opportunity to practice or demonstrate required core competencies and other skills in as realistic a clinical environment as possible without the use of actual patients under the direct observation of faculty.

2. Key Deliverables and Milestones

SPs must be recruited and scheduled in accordance with recruiting requirements outlined in objective and case materials for scheduled simulation events that utilize SPs.

SPs must be trained to perform as standardized/simulated patients using the case materials and scripts.

SPs must be well trained in the simulation activity objectives nuances of the roles they will be portraying and all pertinent case details.

Maintain complete and accurate documentation for payroll and budgeting purposes that includes assigned event number confirmation of SP attendance date and hours of performance department or course SP roles hourly rate and verification from Nurse Educator Team Lead or designee.

SPs must have their own access to reliable internet connections and devices with audio/video capabilities

Identifies screens interviews recruits and maintains an adequate cohort of SPs that reflects the diversity of the people they represent or require for simulation activities

2) Maintains up to date documentation of SP roster that includes contact information demographics and unique findings

3) Recruits and schedules SPs in accordance with curricular requirements of simulation activities

4) Gathers and creates training resources to supplement SP training

5) Educates and prepares SPs to deliver accurate consistent and high-quality clinical education through role portrayal feedback and completion of assessment checklists ensuring they meet curricular requirements and objectives

6) Ensures safe working conditions in the design of activities (e.g. number of rotations number of breaks considers physical cognitive and psychological challenges in role portrayal)

7) Monitors the quality of SP case portrayal provides feedback to improve portrayal where needed and engages in continuous quality assurance and improvement measures to ensure accuracy consistency and inter-rater reliability.

8) Monitors the quality of delivery of feedback to learners and during educational and assessment activities provide feedback where needed and engages in continuous quality assurance and improvement measures to ensure feedback is appropriate

9) Monitors the quality of assessment checklists for educational and assessment activities provides feedback where needed and engages in continuous quality assurance and improvement measures to ensure accuracy of assessments and inter-rater reliability.

10) Oversees SPs during educational and assessment events providing ongoing guidance and support

11) Maintains up-to-date records and documentation of training training resources and training materials using shared platforms as stipulated by the Department of Simulation Education Service

B. Curriculum Development

1) Collaborates with faculty subject matter experts and simulation center staff in the development of instructional methods and evaluation strategies

2) Ensures simulation instructional design meets the purpose

3) Contributes to the development of case materials and supporting documents such as pre-briefing debriefing objectives case scenarios assessment tools etc. for use in SP

based education and assessment activities

4) Contributes to curricular improvements working with faculty subject matter experts and simulation center staff to adapt educational and assessment activities to optimize learning

5) Maintains up-to-date records and documentation of cases and case materials using shared platforms as stipulated by the Department of Simulation Education Service

C. Event Coordination and Execution

1) Coordinates logistics with other simulation center team members ensuring a smooth operation of learning and assessment

2) Coordinates with the Simulation Center Audio-Visual Specialist to become proficient with the use of the departments audio-visual equipment in order to monitor and record simulation events

3) Assists with execution of events utilizing SPs

4) Assist with application of Moulage

D. Program Management

1) Manages a diverse portfolio of SP-based educational and assessment projects

2) Follows and adheres to Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) Standards of Best Practices

3) Ensures quality management practices including quality planning quality assurance quality control and quality improvement

4) Gathers and analyzes feedback regularly from SPs learners faculty and other users regarding the quality of services and effectiveness of activities provided by the program.

5) Assists in development of PI/research projects (scholarly works) for the Walter Reed Medical Simulation Center including:

a. Data collection analysis and reporting

b. Dissemination and maintenance

c. Preparation of manuscripts

d. With appropriate legal review and approval submits manuscripts for publication and national journals.

6) Maintains accurate budget documentation and assists with budget management

7) Completes submits and manages documentation for SP pay in accordance with Department of Simulation policies and vendor requirements

8) Follows business processes as outlined by the Department of Simulation Education Service.

9) Assists with Simulation Education and Operations as assigned.

Qualifications

) Shall be able to read write speak and understand English fluently

2) Be a U.S Citizen

3) Must have a verified Masters level of Education in the humanities education or health

preferred

4) Must have sufficient verified experience consistent with the use of simulation-based education that utilizes Standardized Patients for high stakes events such as Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE) and communication-based simulation activities such as history taking delivering serious news responding to emotion diffusing conflict or family meetings.

2) As an SP Educator should be proficient in developing SP training materials and training individuals on all aspects of case portrayal to include verbal and non-verbal communication and on providing feedback to the learner.

3) As a program manager should be proficient in all levels of SP management to include recruiting SPs assisting with case development creating case materials orienting and training SPs implementing quality assurance measures of SP activities and budgeting.

4) Possesses expert knowledge of and applies adult learning theories and SP methodology

5) Possesses a working knowledge of ASPE Standards of Best Practices

6) Ability to coordinate diverse simulation-based training events for all levels of medical

or healthcare learners.

7) Proficiency with microprocessor-related skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office-based programs (i.e. Excel PowerPoint Word and Outlook).

8) Working knowledge with set-up monitoring and recording using audio-visual and data

recording software

9) Possesses expert customer service skills

10) Possesses excellent oral and written communication skills.

11) Possesses strong interpersonal leadership and organizational skills.

12) Possesses skills in creating and delivering presentations to large groups.